Chelsea went back to the top of the Premier League table with a 7-0 demolition of Stoke City. They sent a defiant title message to fellow title competitors, Manchester United, who went to the top of the table briefly with a 3-1 over Tottenham. Chelsea were able to achieve this result even without their suspended captain, John Terry. Ivorian Coast striker Salomon Kalou scored his first ever Premier League hat-trick, a brace from Frank Lampard, which included a penalty and goals from substitue Daniel Sturrudge and Florent Malouda completed the rout.
Chelsea dominated the match right from the start. Injuries from Thomas Sorenson, who had a suspected fractured elbow, and Stoke's captain, Abdoulaye Faye, who was struggling with a thigh problem, did not help with their embarrassing defeat.
Chelsea could have opened the scoring in the 12th minute when a shot from Frank Lampard was palmed into the path of Ashley Cole, who only managed to sent the ball straight at Sorenson. Didier Drogba forced a terrific save from Thomas Sorenson with a header from a cross supplied by full-back Paulo Ferreira. He almost put Chelsea in the lead in the 22nd minute, only for his shot to soar over the crossbar, straight into the crowds.
However, he created Chelsea's first goal in the 24th minute. Controlling a pass from Malouda, he whipped in a cross for Kalou to head the ball into the net for Chelsea's first goal. Frank Lampard nearly made it two nil three minutes later when his shot was saved by Thomas Sorenson.
The second goal came in the 31st minute. Nicholas Anelka's pass was smartly directed into the path of Lampard by Drogba. Lampard sent a first-time shot which Sorenson managed to save. However, Kalou was the first to react to the rebound and slid in to make it 2-0 in favour of Chelsea. Sorenson was injured while trying to prevent Kalou from scoring and he seemed to have fractured his elbow. He was carried off the pitch by a stretcher after undergoing a lengthy treatment on the pitch. He was replaced by Asmir Begovic.
Two minutes before half-time, Chelsea made it 3-0. Rubert Huth brought down Kalou inside the box and Lampard managed to convert from the spot.
In the second-half, Kalou almost completed his hat-trick 7 minuted into the second-half. His shot was just wide of the goal. However, he managed to complete his hat-trick in the 68th minute, making it 4-0 in favour of Chelsea. Cutting in from the right, he had his first effort saved but managed to slammed the rebound into the net.
In the 81st minute, substitue Sam Hutchinson whipped in a cross for Lampard, who cleverly clipped it over Asmir Begovic. The score now read 5-0.
Daniel Sturridge rounded Asmir Begovic to make it 6-0 in the 87th minute, with Drogba providing the pass yet again. Malouda completed the scoring two minutes later, after failing to convert a cross right in front of the goal in the 78th minute.
Chelsea secured all three points with ease and only Liverpool and Wigan stand in their way of clinching their third Premier League title.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment